


Uninvited Guest

by YukiSkyes



Series: Tales From the Mountains of Odvirkast [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragons, Gen, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 10:57:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10016705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YukiSkyes/pseuds/YukiSkyes
Summary: The most interesting stories about Glasycus Mountain, said to be the gateway between Earth and the Abyss, were the ones about the black dragon that guards it. There was no end to the people stupid enough to try to find Shiro and Keith would do anything to protect him and help hide his existence.One evening, Keith comes home to someone already inside.





	

The Mountains of Odvirkast averaged twenty-two thousand feet tall and spanned about three thousand miles long. It was freezing during winter but flourished come spring. It was known as Horizon’s End where the planes of the Earth and the planes of the sky met, beyond which was a dark void of nothingness that dropped forever; the end of the world.

The tallest mountain, Glasycus, which quietly loomed thirty thousand feet over the world, was considered the gateway between Earth and the Abyss, and the Üntēr Tunnel, which was supposedly located somewhere on the mountain, the connecting keyhole.

But the most interesting of the stories was the guardian of Glasycus. Somewhere in its mysterious heights dwelled a magnificent black dragon with scales of starlight and wings of night. It saved the stranded and the dying who wandered astray its mountains and guided the lost and the foolish back home. It controlled the weather, coaxing rain from clouds and commanded furious blizzards. It protected the lands and the inhabitants around it and punished anyone who harmed them.

Keith heard the stories surrounding the mountain, but he knew the facts. For instance, he knew the euphentasias were the most beautiful during early spring but smelled sweetest during late winter when they went from shimmering crystalline rainbow to blank white. He knew gluker birds were just as delicious seasoned with lemongrass as they were annoying to wake up to. He knew ringt berries tasted awful but made wonderful headache relievers when combined with pine, and he knew there was an outcropping of rock overlooking the river that made an excellent hunting spot. But most importantly, he knew Shiro.

Shiro was intelligent and calm in that careful sort of way that allowed him to consider more than the immediate effects of certain actions or consequences before deciding on a course that should be taken. But it was also the sort of intelligence that didn’t prevent him from almost getting stuck in a narrow chasm to obtain some medicine and really Keith, it was fine, he’s okay.

Shiro would do anything to protect what he cared about and stood for and in that, he was deeply fierce and sometimes even strict. Still, he was disposed to bouts of silliness which included holding Keith over a large mud pit and pretending to contemplate whether to dump him in or not after a bit of impulsiveness involving a lērus that nearly dislocated his shoulder. He decided not to. He flung him in anyway.

He was strong in a way that was as indomitable as the mountains and as all-encompassing as the sky. If he wanted, he could probably lift off the entire peak of Odvirkast, but it was the strength of his heart that defined him. It was what found Keith and it was what he stayed for. But it was these same things that hurt Shiro the most when a freak blizzard and the resulting avalanche wiped out an entire village overnight. He didn’t sleep the entire winter after that patrolling the land.

Shiro provided things for Keith that he couldn’t easily get and Keith helped make life a little less lonely for him. Shiro was Keith’s family and Keith was his. He was also a great, big trumping dragon.

It was that last part that was the most troubling.

Though Shiro was well-known as the Guardian of Glasycus, Keeper of the Odvirkast Mountains, Protector of Caeris and whatever else had you, he remained in people’s stories and not as a fact for the reason that no one was actually sure he existed.

While Shiro helped when he was needed, he did so magically from a distance and those that were so close to death or unconsciousness that they needed his direct intervention woke up in the nearest safe haven never certain whether they hallucinated him or not.

Shiro was strangely reticent when it came to his reasons for that but from what Keith could piece together, he thought he understood.

As long as he remained a myth, no one would fight for his “favor”.

No one would seriously try to hunt him.

Still, that didn’t stop the overabundance of people stupid enough to try to climb Glasycus to confirm Shiro’s existence (Keith ignored the fact that he had been one of them but by then, he’d known about Shiro).

Keith saw it as his duty to turn those people, and anyone else who was uncomfortably close to the area they lived in, away. Besides, Glasycus was his home. Next to Shiro, he knew its dangers better than anyone and he didn’t want people with no respect for his home to waltz in.

Which was why it was so surprising when one evening, as Keith was returning with Red from an excursion for supplies, there’s light spilling from his windows and smoke coming from the chimney.

Red had pulled her lips up to reveal one large pearly-white canine, throat rumbling with the beginnings of a growl, but Keith put a hand on her side and a finger to his lips and she quieted.

He set down his and Red’s bags and they crept towards the house with Red slipping, deft and noiseless for her size, from his side to circle back to the yard where the garden was (Shiro thought it’d be a good way for him to learn attentiveness).

When he reached the porch, he pressed himself flat against the wall and peeked through one of the windows.

The fireplace was indeed roaring and in front of it sat a small figure in his chair with what looked like a knife.

Keith clenched his sword harder and gritted his teeth, irked.

They sure were making themselves at home while waiting to kill him.

For a second, the thought that the Caeris Royal Guard had sent someone to find and retrieve him flickered through his mind, but he quickly shot it down. No, he’d made it explicitly clear that he’d cut ties with them already and it’s been years. Even if they did find out he lived here, they wouldn’t risk sending someone up Glasycus just for him whatever he did and the best knight they had or not.

So who the inferno was intruding his cabin?

Keith made his way to the door and studied the wood.

The hinges of the door squeaked since he lived alone and it was so unlikely anyone would find his house and break in, something which he was going to fix after he was done with the intruder, but that also meant there was no silent way to enter.

So he sucked in a breath, got ready, and with one smooth motion, shoved open the door and charged with a yell, sword flashing as he slashed through the chair.

There was a high-pitched yelp and a rustling sound as the figure managed to dart away in time seconds before a ball of light hit him in the face.

With a cry, Keith squeezed his eyes closed, trying to rid of the excess light blinding him, but he held his sword up defensively, preparing for another attack.

A magic-user?

“Hey! What’s the big id—WHOA!”

The resulting noise of impact and low growl told Keith that Red had successfully managed to sneak in and pin the trespasser to the floor.

“Good job, Red,” Keith praised as he blinked, finally recovering his vision enough to make out the blurry shapes of Red standing over…

Keith rubbed his eyes and drew closer, squinting as he knelt over the fuzzy green mass trapped underneath one of Red’s enormous paws and ran his fingers through it, disbelieving at the feel of long, smooth softness on his skin.

There was an exasperated sigh before an irritated voice informed him, “Yes, those are feathers. You’re not seeing things.”

Keith’s attention snapped up to the intruder’s face, neck craned to meet his eyes and by now, his sight had fully resolved itself to be able to make out the dirty look written on the boy’s features.

Keith snorted and decided he didn’t really care that there was somehow an Aviaer all the way out here and instead asked, “What’re you doing in my house?”

“I’ll answer whatever you want but first, tell your lion-wolf thing to get off of me. My bones aren’t exactly strong y’know,” the boy said, moving his arms pointedly where his wings grew underneath them as best he could beneath Red’s heavy feet.

“I don’t know if I trust you not to use magic on me,” Keith said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously to which the kid rolled his own.

“You don’t get a lot of visitors here, do you?” he asked blandly. “What would using my magic on you do for me anyway? Kill you and steal your shack so I could live the rest of my life here in your place? No thanks.”

Despite himself, Keith couldn’t help but feel defensive over his house. He knew it was kind of shabby but it was his. “There are resources here.”

“I’d have stolen them and left long ago. Magic, oooo,” the kid countered, wiggling his fingers before shooting him a flat look that conveyed how unimpressed he was at him.

The kid’s attitude kind of annoyed him, but he guessed he had a point.

“Try anything and I’ll cut you apart,” Keith warned before standing up with his sword and nodding to Red to let up.

Red bared her own warning before doing so, moving over to sit on the kid’s other side across Keith, watching the boy’s every movement with alert eyes as he sat up.

He rubbed at his inner elbows before standing up, shaking out his wings and brushing off his sleeveless white woolen sweater.

He was rather short, coming up to about Keith’s shoulders. Maybe it had to do with the bird’s legs and the way they bended back at the knees before bending forward again.

“Thanks, I guess,” the kid said as he straightened out his glasses, which thankfully remained intact. He casted around the floor and located his knife and a carving, something Keith hadn’t noticed before, near the fireplace.

Oh. That must’ve what the knife he’d spotted through the window was for. He hadn’t seen what he was doing with it in the angle he peeked through.

The kid went over to pick up the knife, sheathing it in the scabbard on his hip, before picking up the carving as well and pocketing it in his trousers that went down to his knees. He gestured at the ruined chair. “Guess you’re the attack first, ask later kind of guy, huh?”

“Only when there are random people making themselves at home here,” Keith shot back, sheathing his own weapon and crossing his arms.

The kid nodded. “Okay, fair enough.”

“So, what’re you doing in my house?” Keith asked again. “Kind of far from where you live, aren’t you?”

Aviaers lived mostly in the northernmost part of the Odvirkast and they don’t normally venture outside of there, let alone this far south.

“I’m just traveling through, I guess,” the kid replied, sitting down on the chair again despite its missing back. “The sun was setting and I saw your house. I knocked and no one answered. I tried the door and it wasn’t locked, so I thought why wait around outside in the cold when I could wait inside? I figured someone’d be back soon anyway and stuck around hoping to ask if I could stay the night. I really didn’t think they’d skip the ‘who are you?’ and go right into the ‘I’ll kill you’.”

“I attacked out of defense,” Keith gritted out.

“Whatever,” the kid said flippantly, sounding like he really didn’t actually care that he was nearly sliced in half and then trapped under a four-hundred and fifty pound lērus. “So can I stay here for the night?”

Keith sighed. It was kind of annoying, but it didn’t exactly feel right to kick him out. “Alright, fine. But you’d better be gone by morning.”

“Great! Looking forward to dinner then!”

Before Keith could do much more than scowl and open his mouth to retort, a cold wind buffeted through the still-open door and tussled with the fire, making it dance wildly, followed by a hefty thud.

Keith froze, staring wide-eyed at the boy, who stared right back at him with equally wide eyes.

“What was that?” he asked.

“Keith?”

Keith didn’t waste any time. He scrambled to the door and slammed it shut just as the boy jumped out of the chair, looking for all the world like he was shocked out of it.

There was a confused noise on the other side that sounded a bit hurt and it tugged at Keith’s heart.

“No, I’m sorry, Shiro. I’m not mad or anything. It’s uh… I’m kind of occupied,” he called through the door, never once leaving his plastered position against the exit or taking his gaze off the kid, who had collected himself from his surprise and was now standing in some kind of tense readiness, lips pursed and brows drawn down in determination. Keith didn’t like that look.

Red also sensed the change in demeanor in their uninvited guest and had stood up again, warily tensing her muscles in preparation to pounce.

“Can you come back another time?” Keith continued, hoping against all hope that Shiro would say yes and quickly leave.

There was a pause.

“Are you sure? I thought I sensed a flash of magic coming back here and your supplies are outside.”

Shiro sounded genuinely worried for him and Keith couldn’t help the small smile from coming on his lips.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m coming around to getting those. You go get some rest. I’ll see you later,” he said firmly before switching gears and glaring at his overnight guest. Right after he made sure he left. He was really regretting agreeing to let him stay now.

"Alright. I'll see you later."

There was a whoosh that rattled the windows once more and the sound of flapping, which grew fainter and fainter the further away Shiro flew until silence was all that remained save the crackling in the fireplace.

The kid had yet to relax from his stance and if he didn’t, Keith and Red wouldn’t either.

They stared each other down.

“That was the dragon,” the kid stated, deadpan.

Keith curled his mouth in a stubborn glower. “No.”

“You’re lying!” the kid burst, surprising Keith at the force of it. He was suddenly full of fervent energy in the way his whole body shook, fists clenched at his sides as though in an effort to contain it all. His taloned feet dug into the floorboards and there was a gleam in his eyes that almost seemed feverish. “If that wasn’t the dragon, then what was it?”

“None of your business,” Keith sneered. “You’re in my house. I don’t have to answer your questions.”

The kid fell silent at that, expression unreadable, but after a tense while, he slowly unclenched his hands and relaxed his feet and frowned at him, still clearly angry but at least calmer now.

“Fine,” was all he said before he stalked to Keith’s bed of furs in the corner and nestling in them, back turned to the room.

It was kind of suspicious how fast he let it go but as long as he didn’t try anything, like running out after Shiro, he didn’t care. The kid was too young to be a hunter, but Keith never knew. He started young himself when he took up the blade. He didn’t want anyone who could potentially harm Shiro within even a mile.

Keith mouthed over to Red to watch the kid because he didn’t believe for a second he was going to sleep before heading outside to haul in the bags he left lying around on the cold, hard ground.

Once he got everything inside, he made a simple dinner of stew for himself and gave a rabbit for Red, not even bothering to ask their unwelcomed visitor if he wanted some. If he did, he’d stop sulking and ask for a bowl.

Keith spent the rest of the night organizing and putting away the supplies and maintaining his weapons before settling against the wall beside the bed with Red curled around him for warmth and going to sleep.

\---

Keith woke the next morning to an empty bed but somehow, it didn’t alleviate the anxiety settling in his gut like oil.

Behind him, Red was stirring as well and she gave a yawn that showed off her impressive set of teeth. She shot Keith an inquisitive look and he got up, allowing her to stretch.

Keith left her to it and went over start the fire for breakfast but stiffened when he caught sight of the view through the window.

Wasting no time, he rushed to the door, slammed it open, and charged outside where Shiro was lying on the ground watching the sparks the kid, now sporting a dark green cloak, was throwing off his hands with a look of amazement and delight on his reptilian face.

“What’re you doing?” Keith demanded, stomping up to him.

“Good morning, Keith,” Shiro greeted as though there was nothing wrong with letting some strange kid see him when Shiro was avoiding just that for the past few decades.

“What good morning?” Keith snapped. “Whatever happened to not wanting people to see you?”

“Hey, it’s not Shiro’s fault,” the kid spoke up, undaunted against the brunt of Keith’s angry look when he directed it towards him instead, standing tall. “I remembered he said he detected my magic even though it was so small so I snuck out and did like a show and then Shiro turned up because he was worried something happened to you.”

“I know what I said about people sighting me, but Pidge here wanted to find me for a reason,” Shiro informed. “He’s looking for his brother and his father, who disappeared about a year ago in an expedition to this mountain.”

“Yeah, their names are Matt and Sam. Matt looks exactly like me.” Pidge turned cautiously hopeful eyes towards Keith. It was clear he wasn’t really expecting a positive answer but nonetheless he asked, “You haven’t happened to see him or an older man with gray hair and glasses, have you?”

Keith frowned, his anger all but disappearing. “No, sorry.”

Pidge crumpled in disappointment, head hanging. “Oh, that’s okay. This mountain’s huge anyway. And it’s been a year already so…”

Shiro nudged the tip of his tail against Pidge. “Hey, it’s too early to give up now. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for them. Keith too.”

Shiro glanced at him and Keith nodded.

Pidge gave them a wobbly smile and patted the tail. “Thanks, I really appreciate it.”

“In the meantime, I suppose you’ll need somewhere to stay,” Shiro drawled, looking at Keith square in the eye.

Keith stared at him in alarm. “What? No. You’re not suggesting—”

“Then where else is he going to stay?” Shiro inquired, arching his eye ridge.

Keith let out a sigh, his breath coming out in a rush of misty cloud. “Fine.” Turning to Pidge, he said, “But you’re not staying here for free.”

“Don’t worry, I’m more than capable of pulling my own weight,” Pidge assured. “Anyway, I don’t believe we’ve introduced ourselves to each other. I’m Pidge. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Keith,” he returned, taking the hand. “Nice to meet you too.”

They shook once firmly before letting go.

“Great. Now with that out of the way, how ‘bout some breakfast? I haven’t had dinner yesterday and I’m starving.” Pidge put a hand to his stomach in emphasis, which rumbled in agreement.

“Fine, but after this, you’re hunting for your own meals,” Keith allowed. He waved at Shiro as he left, heading back to the house.

“Bye, Shiro! It was really nice to finally meet you. I’ll see you around,” Pidge said with a wave of his own before following after Keith. “I’m an Aviaer! We were born to hunt!”

With a grin, Shiro took off from the clearing to find his own breakfast to start the day.

**Author's Note:**

> Due to being unable to write a long story without just stopping halfway, I've decided to try something different and write a series of shorts in the same universe instead. I'm hoping that it'll help me focus by letting me write what I want without stressing over the details about the how and the why and then quitting when I can't think of a way to answer them or work around them. Also done on time for Shiro's birthday! Yay! I honestly wasn't expecting that.


End file.
